The Best Natural Deodorants That Actually Work

When I switched to all-natural, non-toxic products during The Wellness Project, there were some that were easier than others. My biggest gripe was the one that didn’t seem to have any solutions that benefited my hedonism as much as it protected my health. And that was deodorant.

As the OG organic health nut in my life, my mother deployed scare tactics at an early age when it came to the aluminum in antiperspirants. And while I pleaded ignorance during her rants on the cottonseed oil in my Oreos, I had to at least admit to myself that when it came to putting harsh chemicals near our breast ducts, she did have a point.

Still, it was awkward enough to be the only girl in the locker room with mosquito bites for boobs, so I wasn’t also going to be the token one who smelled like the inside of a New York taxi cab. Behind her back, I kept an arsenal of powder fresh Secret in my gym bag, while going through the motions at home with my rock hard all-natural crystal stick that did nothing.

So why should women use natural deodorant?

Well since the dog days of high school, there has been more concrete research to back up my mom’s theory that putting aluminum in our armpits actually leads to breast cancer. The European Journal of Cancer Prevention sited one small study that indicated that those who shaved their underarms at least three times a week and applied deodorant at least twice weekly were almost 15 years younger when diagnosed with breast cancer than women who did neither. These studies are ultimately hard to fund and require a long timeline, so it may take a while until these claims are officially backed by trial research. But luckily awareness is still spreading.

Harmful ingredients aside, it’s becoming more widely accepted that preventing our bodies from sweating is not good for our overall health. There’s a common-sense argument to be made. And when even Kourtney Kardashian chooses not to wear antiperspirant while nursing, it’s a sign that the common sense is pretty strong.

How do natural deodorants work?

Odor exists as a by-product of our body’s incredible defense system.

Skin flora, the natural bacteria under your arms, helps keep you safe by literally eating the toxins in your sweat. While antiperspirants stop you from schvitzing in the first place, conventional deodorants just kill the skin bacteria, preventing these industrious critters from cleaning the surface of your body.

Natural deodorants, which are usually made with a base of baking soda, charcoal or clay, absorb the odor instead of killing your flora.

When I started my wellness project, I went with the gateway natural brand Tom’s of Maine , which mixed with a little more “eau de moi” with lavender than I would have liked. It also left the pits of my white t-shirts tinged yellow. Needless to say, these were healthy hedonism side effects I wasn’t thrilled about.

But in the two years since, I’ve gone far beyond the Whole Foods aisle and found some fantastic natural deodorants. And they actually work.

A few things to note before switching to natural deodorant:

You need to give your pits some time to adjust to new deodorants. Don’t judge the efficacy on the first or second day. This period of adapting is sometimes called an “underarm detox.” Especially if you’re going straight from an aluminum antiperspirant (which clogs the sweat glands), there may be more sweat, odor and sensitivity for these few days. But think of it as a positive step in the right direction for your body to purge toxic materials.

Part of opening yourself up to more natural possibilities is being comfortable with non-traditional application vehicles. Mainly, your fingies. Though more brands are figuring out ways to put their formula in stick form, I’ve found the most effective natural options to be scoop-and-apply creams. Let me just say that I was very against this for the first year of my natural skincare journey. But once I took the plunge (mainly because I ran out of my stick and all I had was a free sample in a pot), I realized that it wasn’t a big deal. I mainly apply right after showering and find that these creams last a pretty long time, so no need to reapply (i.e. touch your sweaty, stinky pit).

If you’ve tried some natural deodorants and found that your armpits get easily irritated, you might be sensitive to baking soda. Due to its superabsorbent nature, baking soda is often the main ingredient in natural deodorants. Try a few other varieties without baking soda before giving up.

Lastly, staining can happen. This, by the way, can be true even if you’re not wearing natural deodorant. Because, well….sweat. If you have a very expensive white silk dress that you like to wear for special occasions (and I don’t just mean at your wedding), then perhaps it’s worth keeping a conventional deodorant around to use every once in a while. I did this at the beginning for TV appearances and times when I really didn’t want to risk damaging an article of clothing. But I’ve since gotten rid of it. The options below have left my whites in tact for the most part, and I’ve noted the ones to be careful of.

Read on for the list of my favorite natural aluminum-free deodorants for women, in order of best to worst. There are so many options now that I’m still in the process of trying all of them. To round out my list, I included some recommendations from readers – I look forward to giving your advice a go!

From one healthy (not stanky!) hedonist, to another,

xoxo

Phoebe

THE BEST NATURAL DEODORANTS FOR WOMEN (AND MEN WHO DON’T WANT TO SMELL THEM)

Piperwai Charcoal Cream Deodorant Rating: A- Pro’s: Of the 10+ natural deodorants I’ve tried, this is my favorite. I’m such a fan, that I’ve even gotten over the cream self-application to support it, but good news for those who aren’t “there yet”: they just launched a stick version! I can’t vouch for that application, but I can say with confidence that the charcoal base of Piperwai makes it one of the few natural options that both absorbs odor and cuts down on sweat. My pits always feel drier when I apply it after the shower, and it truly lasts all day. A big benefit of this brand is that a little goes a long way. I use less than a pea-sized amount and it rubs in smooth. Cons: Unlike Soapwalla cream below, Piperwai is more of a thick paste so it can be hard to get out of the glass jar. When I bought my first jar (before they rebranded) you could get a small applicator stick for $7. It was a bit of a rip off, but was helpful. You could easily use a small spoon though from your kitchen or a coffee stirrer.

Meow Meow Tweet Lemon Eucalyptus Deodorant Stick Rating: A- Pro’s: This is by far the best all-around stick deodorant I’ve found. It goes on smooth and doesn’t leave any residue. Charlie has found it very usable (no hair clumps!) and likes the scent for men. The formula is vegan and the packaging is a biodegradable cardboard tube – so no waste to boot! Cons: The tube can be a little hard to push up and down in the cardboard container and my lid top broke after a few uses. I also occasionally have to reapply by the end of the day, but having a stick makes that much easier. You can also find this formula in a glass jar cream version.

Soapwalla Deodorant Cream Rating: B+ Pro’s: I’ve kept the travel sized Soapwalla pot in my dopp for over a year for when I forgot my go-to sticks, and it truly lasts forever! The standard scent is fairly neutral with a slight minty quality, which I like. It’s also a non-baking soda option, instead using clay and organic cornstarch (if you’re wondering why it’s still a white paste). Cons: If you’re still not on board with creams, you’re out of luck here. It’s on the thicker side too, so not ideal for men with a lot of hair, even though the scent is a great unisex option.

Schmidt’s Bergamot + Lime Stick Rating: B Pro’s: Schmidt’s has become one of the most widely known and used of the natural brands, and I understand why. They have fantastic scents (readers have raved about Lavender + Sage), cute packaging that feels like the conventional deodorants we grew up with, and even handy dandy travel sizes! Cons: This is a baking-soda based deodorant that can go on thick and leave some residue on your skin. My biggest cons though were that is ran out fast and didn’t stay on long. My travel size didn’t even last a month (and I wasn’t using it every day). But on the other hand, it’s also one of the cheaper sticks in the lot. I’d definitely give it a solid B and seal of approval as the gold standard for gateway natural deo’s. Start here instead of Tom’s! I should also note that they make creams as well.

Ursa Major Hoppin’ Fresh Stick Rating: B- Pro’s: I’m a big fan of Ursa Major’s other products, specifically their face wash, and loved the minty smell (good unisex option) and texture of this stick. It goes on smooth and easy, has a non-chalky finish (which is rare for a baking soda-based deo), and didn’t appear to leave any staining. Cons: Ultimately, this stick, though I wanted to love it, didn’t tame the stank for the full day and I found myself having to reapply.

Blissoma’s Scentless Stick Rating: B- Pro’s: This was one of the first sticks I found since the Tom’s of Maine fiasco that actually worked. Charlie was extremely relieved once I incorporated it into my routine. Cons: Though I’m attached to Blissoma as one of my first natural deodorant loves, it’s texture can be inconsistent and a little rough at times on your pits, especially if you’ve just shaved. I also found that it was one of the worst offenders for staining, both in turning white shirts yellow, and leaving residue. Sorry old friend!

READER RECOMMENDATIONS

All of these got multiple thumbs up from Feed Me Phoebe readers, so may be worth a try! I’ll add them to the above list as I have a chance to test them.

Primally Pure: The sensitive stick got more recommendations than any other brand. I just bought it in Lemongrass and can’t wait to give it a try. One reader did mention that there is slight staining, probably due to oils in the formula. Primally Pure has a great article on their site that explains some of the pitfalls (har har) of switching to their formula and how you can avoid them.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Glad to see you publish on this! I have been using these for years and after years of experimenting, confidently attest that the best all around is Earth Science – I like Rosemary Mint but all scents (including unscented) work equally well and better than all others I’ve tried, including several on this list. It is effective, comes in a bar, rolls on smoothly with no grit or residue, is an easy alternative to “traditional” deodorants and costs ~$6.

Hi! I wanted to share another natural deodorant that works great for me and I’ve been using it for about 2 years now. Kiss My Face liquid rock roll on deodorant. I like it in the Lavender scent personally but I’ve tried other scents and they work too. I have tried so many other natural deodorants over the years and always find they work for a while and then stop. I live in Florida and so my pits can get pretty stinky and sweaty! This one works for both issues and doesn’t leave any white marks or stains! I highly recommend it!! Also, if you’re looking for a great all natural toothpaste I love their triple action flouride free cool mint toothpaste! I have used a lot of flouride free toothpastes and this one is my fav!! It’s also free of sodium lauroyl which is hard to find. Both the deodorant and toothpaste have pretty clean ingredients. I get it off Amazon. Just thought I’d share. 🙂

I never heard of that study so thanks for publishing! Pretty scary, and confirms what I’ve long suspected. Personally, even though you don’t like crystal, I find the spray form of Thai crystal deodorant very effective. It doesn’t stop you sweating but the odor is gone all day. It has no fragrance, and the spray means not having to deal with pastes and baking soda. When I travel, I just decant some into a little spray bottle. Weird fact: backstage at the Oscars, there are dermatologists giving the women presenters Botox shots in their pits, which I guess freezes the sweat glands or something. Ew.

Thank you for this list! I tried several before figuring out that my skin is really sensitive to baking soda. The best one hands down has been from Little Seed Farm. Great scents, and they have an activated charcoal formula. It’s only in cream form though, and I’m looking for a stick for when I travel, I’ll try out some of these suggestions!https://littleseedfarm.com/collections/body/products/deodorant-cream-3-scents

Great post! I’ve been using natural deodorant for almost ten years now (wow) and I love love love the black raspberry deodorant from Rachel Rene Bath & Body on etsy. I’ve used it for probably 9 of those 10 years; every time I stray I end up coming back! I can’t recommend it enough. I just have to make sure I stock up since it’s not sold in stores (at least in TX).

I’ve been experimenting with natural deodorants for about a year now, and although I refused to believe it at first, I have a baking soda sensitivity. I used to get horribly red, burning, itching armpits, and no amount of lotion or body oil would make them happy. I also had white t-shirt/yellow pit issues. But I did not want to go back to the traditional deodorants because a). cancer, b). I started to sweat less and my pits were dryer than when I used a conventional antiperspirant. It’s like my body was fighting the aluminum. Then I found Primal Pit Paste. It is amazing. I’ve tried the stick version first, but it had too much baking soda for my sensitivity. I reached out to their customer service which was extremely helpful, and they send me free samples of a paste version and baking soda-free option with charcoal. I tried both and never looked back. What’s great about this paste is that they have multiple “levels” of baking soda, so you can adjust depending on your odor levels and baking soda sensitivity. If only I could go back in time and share this paste with my teenage self who used to dress in layers like an onion and ask to open a window because it’s too hot…

Thank you for this post! I’ve been trying to make the switch as well, but I’m a bit of a sweat monster with super sensitive skin, so it’s tricky! Looking forward to trying these out. (also, really hope this isn’t annoying, but “deodorant” is misspelled in your graphic… just in case nobody’s caught it yet!)

Just reading this. I’ve never heard of some of those brands! I personally love Native and have been using it for awhile now. I have to use their sensitive line (no baking soda). Cotton/lily & lavender/pear are my fav scents! I’ve never had a problem with it staining clothes and it’s pretty reliable keeping odors and sweat (unless you’re in a super sweaty gym session) at bay. Schmidt’s also makes a baking soda free version, which is good, can be a bit wet. Meow meow tweet’s sensitive version is also outstanding!

i have recently found and started using Lume https://lumedeodorant.com/ up to this point, nothing i had tried had worked. even conventional ones with aluminum didn’t work all the way. i always had to reapply no matter the brand. i have not used conventional anti-perspirant/deodorants for at least 15 years. the natural ones just are not strong enough for my seemingly super body odor. and everything gives me a rash. Lume is the first one that not only makes me stink free for at least 24 hours (and actually longer) without reapplying, but i don’t get a rash! it is aluminum free and baking soda free too!

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I’m Phoebe: gluten-free chef, culinary instructor, Hashimoto’s advocate, & author. I’m obsessed with the sweet spot where health and hedonism intersect, in the kitchen and beyond. And I want to help you find it too. READ MORE ABOUT PHOEBE